Chapter 429 Chapter430-Hatred
Although Greg had just awakened from a coma, his body, nourished by mana, was inherently robust.
The prolonged unconsciousness had led only to temporary weakness, and simple recovery exercises would restore most of his combat capabilities.
Even though Antalya had not yet made arrangements, he would not be absent from the next action.
"Yes!" Antalya's response was definitive.
"I will handle the operations. You, just need to sharpen your own swords."
Speaking, Antalya's gaze landed on Greg: "Although it's just a vague feeling... Soma might not be dead. I know, surviving in that situation seems incredible, but we've already had one example on our side. Another wouldn't surprise me too much."
Greg didn't speak, but everyone could feel his demeanor had changed.
If one were to use a sword as a metaphor, the previous Greg was at most like a fine blade sheathed, ready to be drawn at any moment but more a piece of exquisite craftsmanship.
The current Greg, however, resembled those blades stained with blood—more savage, more brutal, but also more dangerous.
Those vivid red marks were of hatred.
"Boss, what's your plan?" Ali, who had been silent, asked, her question striking at the core of their next move.
The information they currently held was scant, with precise intelligence on Red Eye even scarcer.
Relying on these bits of information to pinpoint Red Eye's location and movements was less feasible than hoping to bump into a strolling Red Eye after praying in a church.
"If Sorovo's target is that 'Old Nobles', then Red Eye is a link they cannot bypass; he's the only lead they have. We need intelligence, and they need assistance. With their capabilities, even if they locate Red Eye, capturing him is out of the question."
"Moreover, if their initial attempt fails, the success rate for a second operation drops to nearly zero! As long as Sorovo isn't a fool, he'll opt to join forces with us!"
Antalya didn't lay out a specific plan of action but elucidated the current situation instead.
Indeed, as Antalya explained, the force at Sorovo's disposal would have no issue dealing with a typical thieves group, even if it included one or even two level 3 magi.
But their enemy now was Red Eye.
Cunning as a fox, vicious as a wolf—Red Eye!
After a brief deduction, everyone affirmed Antalya's reasoning.
Harry wouldn't expose the existence of Antalya and the others voluntarily, as doing so would diminish his standing in Red Eye's eyes.
However, Howard being captured also made Sorovo aware of an unknown force in Lorinda, one capable of confronting Red Eye.
At this juncture, as long as Antalya steps forward, the likelihood of reaching an agreement with Sorovo is exceedingly high.
"To avoid any complications, we must not reveal ourselves in our next actions," Antalya paused before continuing.
"It's hard to disguise our figures, but we absolutely must not let our faces be exposed."
As she spoke, Antalya retrieved several masks from a spatial storage device.
The device looked like a wooden bracelet, embedded with rice grain-sized spatial mana crystals, surrounded by intricate magical inscriptions.
The bracelet, once infused with mana, could be utilized, though its internal space was limited to about half a cubic meter.
Howard's dual swords were among the items stored within.
The masks shared a uniform design: pallid faces devoid of features, save for two holes where the eyes should be, and a flame symbol at the forehead.
Antalya placed one mask over her face.
The slightly oversized mask thoroughly concealed her features, leaving only her azure eyes visible.
"Wear this mask during our operations.
Speak as little as possible to avoid revealing any personal characteristics."
Antalya was not yet planning on bringing the adventure group back into the limelight, as that would attract too much attention.
Until Howard and Ali had grown stronger, and the adventure group's combat effectiveness had been restored, their actions must remain low-profile.
Howard and Ali took their masks and stored them away.
"Next, wait patiently for my arrangement."
...
"Lord Sorovo!"
In the three-story building temporarily housing the Three Knights, Sorovo sat in the courtyard, silently wiping his long sword.
His movements were meticulous, even tender, as if the object in his hands was not the cold blade but the delicate body of a lover, which could be damaged with the slightest force.
Hearing the call, Sorovo ceased his cleaning and looked up towards the source of the voice.
Under the eaves stood a young man, whom he recognized as a centurion of the Breeze City's city guard, a steadfast fellow.
Though lacking in outstanding talent, he knew how to work hard and was clear about what he wanted.
Sorovo had no doubts about his future.
"Any new developments in the search?"
It had been two days since that unidentified young man was captured and escaped, and the search operation in Lorinda had been ongoing for the same duration.
This small settlement had been turned upside down by the city guard of Breeze City, uncovering a host of unregistered residents but no valuable leads.
The young centurion spoke up, "Not yet, my lord."
"However, we encountered a strange woman who wishes to meet with you. She claims to know the whereabouts of the young man who escaped last time!"
The centurion had been guarding the door when Howard was captured and subsequently escaped.
Although he had nearly died at Howard's hands, he realized that a young man capable of escaping from Sorovo was no ordinary individual.
He might well be connected to Red Eye.
Hence, despite the lack of progress in his team's search, the encounter with Antalya prompted him to immediately return.
Indeed, the "strange woman" he referred to was Antalya.
"Knows the whereabouts of that young man? His companion?"
Sorovo regarded the centurion, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
He had sealed off any news regarding Howard.
While he didn't place much trust in Howard's credibility, being cautious in these circumstances was prudent.
Considering someone knew Howard had been here and his movements, aside from Howard's companions, Sorovo couldn't think of a more plausible explanation at the moment.
"Let her in. I want to hear what she has to say for herself."
The centurion received his orders and departed, and before long, Sorovo saw a figure following him back in.
From the build, it appeared to be a woman, but Sorovo hesitated to be certain since the figure's face was completely covered by a mask, concealing any facial features.
The mask bore no features except for a conspicuous crimson flame at the forehead.
Through the two holes for the eyes in the mask, Sorovo saw a pair of eyes as deep as the ocean blue.
He couldn't detect any superfluous emotional fluctuation in them, as if they were just a pair of beautiful glass beads.
This reminded Sorovo of Howard's eyes.
What he had seen on Howard's face was a pair of eyes just like these.
Another formidable character, Sorovo said to himself in silence.
"My lord, this is the woman," the centurion announced, standing firm in front of Sorovo, with the masked figure stopping beside him.
Sorovo scrutinized this individual hiding their face, his expression unreadable.
"Good day, knight commander sir. You may refer to me as commander, as I am currently acting in the capacity of the adventure group commander."
The voice from beneath the mask was of a female with no distinctive features, akin to any woman in her twenties.
Listening to the woman finish, Sorovo's pupils contracted slightly.
Her words were few, yet the message she conveyed, as well as what Sorovo picked up, was substantial.
First, she was well aware of Sorovo's status and identity. The title of knight commander was not a noble title but Sorovo's own position, indicating she had at least paid attention to or investigated him.
Secondly, her self-designation as commander, temporarily assuming the role of adventure group commander, regardless of what her use of "temporarily" specifically implied, merely the mention of an adventure group was enough for Sorovo to take her very seriously.
This was not common knowledge; to date, Breeze City had not harbored a native adventure group.
An adventure group signifies the presence of at least three certified magi!
If this woman indeed had an adventure group behind her, then even the notion of overturning the power structure of Breeze City wasn't out of reach.
Although Breeze City boasts five certified magi, these five do not all belong to the nobility currently in power within the city.
Sorovo himself included.
He belongs to Breeze City; he is a soldier, obeying higher commands, living to protect the populace.
"So, Madam Commander, what can you bring to me? A few not-so-funny jokes?" Sorovo looked into those eyes, wondering how such people truly exist in the world.
It was as if they had forsaken the emotion of fear, staring directly at the slightly glowing blade without a hint of falter.
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